ᐅ Floating solid hardwood flooring installation—any experiences?

Scout schrieb:

Try searching for a) parquet, b) Wuppertal, and c) the profession that mills grain—you’ll find him there. The consultation was good; everything was handled by email after we sent him a floor plan. If you live nearby, he can also install it. Otherwise, you can do it yourself, though it’s a bit more involved than laminate. Unfortunately, I can’t give you any advice regarding underfloor heating and the floorboards; upstairs, we have traditional radiators.

On the ground floor, we deliberately didn’t want wood but something more durable and easy to clean, so we chose tiles. They were laid over the entire area as a single continuous surface, including the kitchen. We had parquet in the kitchen in our previous home—never again. For the basement, we wanted something warm underfoot, durable, and low-maintenance, so we went with rubber flooring. We were surprised by it and in hindsight would also consider it for the ground floor.

Thanks, I probably had already visited this provider’s website by chance before because I remember this location. Thanks also for the additional information!

Scout schrieb:

Nailing allows the wood to retain its natural properties – gluing restricts this. A nailed floor offers a different experience because the planks can adjust to natural conditions such as humidity and temperature. They provide a comforting atmosphere, as you can perceive slight changes by smell (more wood scent), sight (gaps, minor irregularities), touch (subtle warping), and even hearing (gentle creaking when walked on) – ideal for atmospheric living. This is incomparable to the almost sterile glued engineered flooring in our previous apartment.

Additionally, it is highly suitable for allergy sufferers and people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).

Well, we didn’t want any of that, but thanks. Glad we went with gluing.

Scout schrieb:

A nailed-down floor provides a different experience.

But neither for the eyes nor for the feet. So why choose solid wood planks and nail them down?

nordanney schrieb:

But neither for the eyes nor for the feet. So why use solid wood planks and fasten them with clips?

Actually, glued parquet flooring is rigid, inflexible, and only slightly better than tile. Floating parquet, on the other hand, has a slight cushioning effect, which is better for walking, posture, and feet. It’s simply more dynamic compared to the “dead” glued parquet. Solid wood planks don’t have any counterbalance and therefore expand and contract quite a bit, so they can’t just be installed as floating floors. The clips act as a substitute for this counterbalance and reduce the natural swelling and shrinking behavior of the wood, so the entire assembly works together, while the gaps between the planks remain minimal.

And no glue that fixes the board to the subfloor and emits substances over time. The only alternative would have been nailing, but we didn’t want that because of the ceiling height—we would have lost about 4cm (1.6 inches), and the floor build-up height wouldn’t have fit in the rooms anymore.

So why solid wood planks? Because they’re the simplest and most honest option in the world—just a plank. In our case, Tyrolean oak. Nothing else, no particleboard or cheap wood as a core layer, no glue of questionable origin holding together layers and pressed wood.

Basically just the wood and you. Invisible corrugated cardboard, a little wood glue, and stainless steel clips as helpers on the screed. Done. Cool!

Scout schrieb:

Floating parquet flooring, on the other hand, offers minimal cushioning, which is better for walking, posture, and feet. It is simply more dynamic compared to the “dead” glued-down parquet.

Okay, and does your house also breathe, or are you a solid plank seller?
Rarely have I read such nonsense.

nordanney schrieb:

Okay, so your house "breathes," or are you a solid plank salesperson?
Rarely have I read such nonsense.

Neither – with breathable walls, you’d only hear me laughing.
Just tell me where you prefer to walk barefoot – on a concrete floor or forest ground? Why the forest ground? Because it has some elasticity, while concrete does not. Evolutionarily, this was the norm, not concrete floors (or glued parquet).

I prefer to wear shoes on tiles, so the modulus of elasticity there really doesn’t matter. But not on upper floors where I mostly walk barefoot or in socks.